Caroline Aherne has been laid to rest in a private funeral service in Manchester. Family and close friends were invited to attend the ceremony, thought to have been held in a church near to her home in Timperley, Trafford, on Thursday.
On the day of the service, her close friend, TV producer Jeff Pope, took to Twitter and wrote: "The funeral today of one of our greatest working class heroes. The world is a poorer place for the loss of the incomparable Caroline Aherne."
Caroline Aherne has been laid to rest in a private funeral
Caroline, who wrote and appeared in The Royle Family, and was well known for her role as acerbic chat show host Mrs Merton, passed away on 2 July after a brave battle with cancer. Following her death, tributes poured in from friends, colleagues and admirers of the gifted comedian.
"Absolutely devastating news about Caroline Aherne," tweeted David Walliams. "A true comedy genius, her work was equally funny & touching." Matt Lucas added: "Caroline Aherne moved television comedy on to a new place. Her extraordinary work will be cherished by future generations."
Her good friend Steve Coogan told the Guardian: "I loved her. She used to make me cry with laughter, this is the first time she's made me cry without laughing."
David Walliams was among those paying tribute to Caroline following her death
Caroline, he said, was so uncomfortable with success that she "could easily have just remained a funny girl working as a secretary, so it's great that she became a household name instead, and so many people got to see her and have that joy."
Her devastated brother Patrick also remembered the star. "My heart is broken as I loved her so much," he said. "But she is now in a better place and most of all she has no pain. I have lost a beautiful sister and the world has lost an amazing talent."
